World's Greatest Detective
by MoonSpider95
Summary: Reader-Insert, LxReader DON'T LIKE DON'T READ. You were recruited by L one fateful day, and have grown to be one of his most trusted field agents. Though, could your relationship blossom further? Rated T for later chapters.
1. Goodbye Computer

**Author's Note: My first reader insert! 3 I plan on making an excellent series with this. With alternate good and bad endings. ;) Yes. I know everything up until the endings. I've been thinking about it that freakin' much.**

**Here, obviously, you take the place of Naomi Misora during the Los Angeles BB Murder Cases. Though, take it from me, even though it seems very similar now, you will definitely be making your own path.**

**I really own nothing here. ^^; I claim no copyright or anything. Leave me be. Though I did take dialogue/details from the actual book, that was for authenticity purposes only. It will start looking a lot different in the next chapter.**

* * *

You tore off your jacket when you came back into your dorm room. You are eighteen years old and in your first year of college. Being a whiz at your major, you thought these couple years would be a breeze. You were wrong. The subjects themselves weren't that bad, but between time for projects and a part-time job you barely had time for sleep. Plus, you had originally planned to go to (preferred place) for college, but due to cost expenses and disappointing rejection letters – which made no sense as your scores were excellent – you had no choice but to learn about your major in Los Angeles of all places. A city that never sleeps; one that could give New York City a run for its money.

You kicked off your boots and landed roughly on your bed. If you had a roommate, that probably would have made (him/her) mad, but luckily – as per the usual for last minute registrations – the remaining room was void of any life but yourself. Drinking a latte via Starbucks, determined to put some caffeine into your system, you simultaneously balanced it and surfed the internet for research on this paper for your first Monday class. Luckily, Holiday Break was coming soon, so that would be a couple weeks off from school at least. Suddenly, your e-mail pulled up. You figured you accidentally hit the button, so you decided to look through anyways.

Looking at the e-mail address, it seemed to have been sent by your (parent(s)/guardian), probably wondering how your first few months of dorm life was doing and if you needed another care package. However, when you opened the link, that theory couldn't have been farther from the truth. It read:

_(Your name)_

I apologize for contacting you like this.

I realize that you are hard at work in your studies, but I would like to request your help in a police investigation. If you are willing to assist me, please access the third block of the third section of the Funny Dish server tomorrow morning at nine a.m. The line will be open for exactly five minutes. I inserted software into your computer which will allow you to break through the firewall; however, it will dissipate after 24 hours.

L

PS: In order to contact you, I took the liberty of borrowing your guardian's address. This was the simplest and safest way to contact you, so please forgive me. Regardless of whether you agree to help me or not, I need you to destroy this computer within twenty-four hours of reading this message.

You stared at the screen blankly. L. It was L. He was the most famous unseen detective in the history of the world! No prankster or spammer would dare use that alias because everyone knew the consequences if they did. It was really L. And he wanted your help on a case.

And he also wanted you to destroy your computer. Bummer. It ran like new, had all of your stuff on it, was used in your work, and you happened to have grown attached to it as well. But, everyone looked up to L. He had to be the best for a reason, right? Though part of you hated him for making you part with your electronic addiction, you prepared for the inevitable. You put all of what you had on your hard drive onto a couple of flash drives – shaped like panda bears, no less – and went to sleep.

* * *

When the morning came, your instinct was to run over in your head whether or not you had to go to a class or if you had the morning shift. After a minute, you realized you had neither. However, you had to go on a chat with L and then destroy your computer. That last part was going to suck, but following L's work, your inner fan(girl/boy) was trying to dig its way out through your extremely calm exterior at the idea of chatting with the legendary great detective.

You opened the chat room after failing to find the firewall-breaking software and went to the block specified. It let you through, so the software must have been invisible even to you. The idea that something like that could be easily implanted into a person's computer creeped you out, almost as much as the idea of anyone – L included – using that address did, but you decided to suck it up. The man was a legend. He could bend a few rules.

"(Your name)," came a voice from your computer's speakers. It was clearly synthetic, like two voices running at once, one lower than the other so it sounded sort of autotuned. But everyone knew it as L's. He continued. "This is L."

Having no microphone at the moment, you had no choice but to type your responses. You started to type 'hi', but then figured this was a serious investigation-type meeting so greetings would be kind of pointless. Instead you typed, "This is (your name). It's an honor to speak to you, L."

He had a very swift response. "(Your name), are you familiar with the murder investigation going on in Los Angeles as we speak?"

Of course you knew about the murders. It was all over the news. They were known as the Wara Ningyo murders. Pretty much, each time a person was killed there were Wara Ninyo dolls – kind of like Japanese voodoo dolls – were left at the scene, always decreasing by one, oddly enough. You responded, "Of course I have. You can't miss something like that."

"Good. I would like to solve the case," said the voice. ""I need to arrest the killer. But your help in this matter is vital, (your name)."

You typed out the question which had been reeling in your mind since you got his e-mail. "Why me?" You were still a student, so even if your major somehow gave you credibility for solving this, it wouldn't make a difference. You were still in your first year, taking required classes. Not to mention there were actual police officers available. Coming to you made no sense.

"Naturally, because I have little options." You admitted, that stung a little. He explained, "There being only three murders in Los Angeles thus far, only local investigators are to be involved. However, there have been far too many reports of corruption for me to consider them. No one within the justice system of the area has earned my trust. Professionals not available, the next logical step is to look to students. Though your classes do nothing to suggest you capabilities for this case, the same goes for anyone else. Something stood out about you, though. My sources confirmed that you were involved in helping the police control a shooting at your previous high school. This was very admirable and suggests a strong sense of justice. Thus, you are my selection for this case. If you are concerned about a lack of training, you needn't worry. I'll be sure to guide you throughout the investigation."

Your mouth was wide open in shock. The high-school-shooting thing was a total fluke! There were maybe three shooters. The police were on the scene. One of them was in your classroom and attacker your friend. You lost it and beat the snot out of the guy, not caring if he had a gun. He dropped it after one punch, anyways. After that, you were the school hero. For the week you had left. But that was pure adrenaline. He was asking for brain power. You wanted to rant a rebuttal to him via keyboard, but then you realized he must have had some sort of faith in you. But there were other things to consider.

"Holiday break is coming up…"

"I know. Isn't that convenient? Also, you are on a leave of absence from your part-time job. Paid, of course."

You had to admit, the guy had everything planned perfectly. And he got you a paid vacation, even if it did only pay minimum wage. You surrendered to his logic. "Ok. I'll help in any way I can."

Instantly, he replied, "Thank you. I knew you would agree." Even through the synthetic voice, he didn't sound grateful as much as he did matter-of-factly. Like, 'oh yes, I _knew_ you would'. That grated on your nerves . But then again, was that just the sound of the computerization? Maybe. But he still didn't justify the future-death of your computer. He continued, "Let me explain how you will contact me in the future. We have no time, so I will be brief. First…"


	2. Scary EmoLooking Bed Monster

**A/N: Ok, I've been working more on this series now. :D Still seems a lot like the actual book, but it gets different towards the end of this case, I swear. LA BB Murder Cases was used as a reference. I own nothing.**

* * *

Later, you learned of more details to the investigation. On November 13th, in the bedroom of a small house on Hollywood's Insist Street, a man named Believe Bridesmaid was killed. He lived alone, working as a freelance writer. He was strangled with a string after being knocked out with some sort of drug. There were no signs of struggle. Later, on December 4th, in a downtown apartment on 3rd Avenue, a young female named Quarter Queen was beaten to death, her skull caved in front by something long and hard. Once again, she appeared to have been drugged and unconscious during the time of death. She was 13-year-old girl and certainly didn't have any affiliation with the previous victim. Her parents didn't have a connection with him either. There seemed to be a missing link. Wara Ningyo dolls were hung at each murder scene, four at the first and three at the second.

The third murder was in West L.A. in a townhouse near the Metrorail Glass Station. Another female named Backyard Bottomslash, who was a bank clerk at age twenty-six, died of blood loss from massive hemorrhaging. At her house, there were two dolls. With each victim dying in a different way, people couldn't help but feel that the killer was simply trying something new each time, like an experiment. He or she left no clues at each scene. The only thing that police had to go on was a connection between them, but there was none. Everyone was at a loss.

Though, by this point police noticed another similarity in the crimes besides the Wara Ningyo dolls. In each case, all the rooms were locked. When a killer did this intentionally, it would normally mean that he or she had been trying to pass off the murder as a suicide. However, each case was obviously a murder, so there was really no reason to lock the doors at all. Whoever the killer was, his or her attention to detail was stunning, though. Leaving no clues is one thing, but the killer took the time to clean everything in the murder scene. Even the light bulbs were dusted inside of their sockets. You took note that this could mean that the killer had some sort of problem with obsessive/compulsive behavior.

The day after you received L's request, December 15th, you arrived just past noon at the first murder scene. Apparently, he wanted you to pick up something that the police couldn't catch onto. It was a big responsibility and it didn't set well in your stomach. Your mind flashed to the old saying of the killer returning to the scene of the crime. What if the killer returned _while you were in it_? Uneasily, you had to move inside. You resisted the urge to call L, dead set on doing at least this much alone. You didn't know why. You just wanted to impress him. Soon enough, you found the bedroom. As sure as daylight, it had a thumb turn lock like each scene did. You didn't understand why this was only minutely discussed in police reports. It was one of the most unusual, important details and it stood directly out to you.

The bedroom itself was small, but there was little furniture. There was a large bed in the center and a few bookshelves filled with "How To" books for leisure activities and famous manga. Clearly, this room was just to relax in. You blew out a breath of hot air thinking of what you would be looking for. It was clear the killer wouldn't be one to make a mistake, so your only hope was that he would tauntingly leave something behind, as if making fun of everyone on the case. You've seen a few specials on the ID channel, _Investigation Discovery_, and know the type is in abundance. Come on, who wouldn't want to be known as smarter than a team of police officers? Your only prayer in mind was that the dolls hung and doors locked at each scene wouldn't be the only thing to work with here. Or the crossword puzzle that the police received from him, as L previously told you, which had given the address of the first murder beforehand. If they were your only clues, you would be screwed. And you would have let down L.

You looked about the bookshelves and counted there to be fifty-seven volumes of manga packed tightly. You actually had to put in effort to pry one lose. Part of it was curiosity, though. You liked manga. You flipped through pages randomly, looking for a message on a slip of paper or something, but no such luck. You didn't bother looking in the least obvious places because if there were a message then it would be obvious so it would be found.

Without anything to go on, you looked once again to the crime scene photos you were given. It was of Believe Bridesmaid's corpse. Though you were sure you would puke looking at the actual body, you were relatively fine looking at these. Go figure. The body was on its back and in a bloodstained t-shirt. But the shirt wasn't ripped. Meaning that the killer murdered the man, cut up the body with a knife, and put a shirt back on him. This guy was a sicko. Curiously, though, you could make out letters in the cuts. V … C … I? No, M. Another V … X? D … three more I's … L? You gave up. It just felt like you were forcing it too much. It may not have even been letters.

So the room had nothing and it was hard to determine anything from the pictures. You walked by the bed, considering checking the other rooms, when a hand reached out and grabbed you by your ankle. You screamed as you were dragged down, being pulled under the bed. It was the monster under the bed! You _knew_ they existed! They weren't just nightmares and paranoia! You knew too much and now you were going to be eaten alive!

Rationality came to your brain as you remember in an instant you were in a murder investigation. It was probably the killer. Either way, you screamed harder, convinced that you were going to die. You think you really should have called L because then maybe he would notice sooner if you were to suddenly disappear. You think he is going to have to avenge your death at some point before you are eaten or stabbed to death. Your mind still hadn't made up which was more believable yet.

The grip loosened and you broke free, scooting away from the bed as if it were death itself. A man silently crawled out from under the bed, using a finger to dig into the inside of his ear, apparently deafened by your screaming. That embarrassed you a bit, but you were too busy staring. He was kind of hot in an "emo guy" kind of way, but you would never say that out loud. He had messy black hair and rather dark circles under his eyes that contrasted nicely against his pale skin. He was very thin, wearing a plain white, long-sleeved shirt and baggy blue jeans. He was barefoot, though, which struck you as odd. As he climbed out, he seemed to be very tall, but he hunched over, so he was about a head shorter than you. He looked up to you and met your eyes. "Nice to meet you," he said, completely unphased. "Please call me Ryuzaki."

* * *

You were relieved, having escaped to the bathroom. That Ryuzaki was _so_ weird! He sat with his legs to his chest. He had more sugar in his tea than he did tea. He ate _immense_ amounts of strawberry jam – straight from the jar, often scooping it out with his fingers. As if being so creepy weren't enough cause for alarm, he said his reason being there was investigating the scene, just as you were, only hiding under the bed like that thinking that you were the perpetrator. As likely as this supposed "Ryuzaki" would have this sound, it just didn't sound right, didn't look right. As proof, he even supplied the crossword puzzle that had stumped the police. Apparently, he had solved it. And it led to here. Just like L had told you. Who other than L or the killer would be able to figure it out? Your instincts told you that this was your man and you knew you had to call this in. You feared that L would point out the obvious, that there was no evidence, but this was clear enough to you! And he wanted you to work with him! Ha!

You called L on your cellphone and hoped that he would pick up. Luckily, the synthetic voice came through. "Ah, (Your name). I was expecting a call from you earlier. You really should check back with me more often. If not for security measures I had already placed, then I might have been concerned with a 34% probability that something might have happened to you."

What security measures? And where did that percentage come from? Whatever. No time to think about that. You harshly whispered in a panicked voice, "L! There is some other detective here. He has the crossword puzzle you mentioned, saying it led him hear. But he's acting very suspicious. I think he may be the murderer."

"Suspicious?"

"Yes! I mean he has some evidence that I believe only you or the murderer would be able to decipher properly, and he even corrected me on one of my clues." This was true. Those letters you found on the body turned out to be Roman numeral letters.

"Was he cool?" That … was completely unrelated. Why did it matter if he was cool or not? It didn't make any sense! You just couldn't answer. Was he … into him or something? Your mind directly went there. There was no fighting it. L was forced to ask again. "Was he cool?"

You gave your honest answer. "Absolutely not! He is just plain _creepy_! He sits weird and eats endless amounts of jam and I've never _seen_ someone have that much sugar in their tea! Plus he's all barefoot with these dark eyes and messy black emo hair … I don't want to be near him!" You felt a pang of guilt as you criticized the man's looks. You were actually very attracted to it. But a guy who was known as the World's Greatest Detective didn't need to know about your weird fetish … so you just responded like any _normal_ person would. There was nothing wrong with that, right? L's question made no sense anyway. Why would he want to know your personal opinion of Ryuzaki?

There was silence for a moment, but then the voice spoke again. "(Your name), I understand how shaken you must feel right now, but you can't let your resolve fall. You have to think logically. The 'weirdness' in someone's behavior in itself is not probable cause for arrest." You cringe at that point. You already knew that! Your point was the odd timing and having the crossword puzzle with him! L continued. "As for the timing and the crossword puzzle, I'll admit it does seem unfitting. Has he asked anything of you?"

"Yes. He wanted to work with me. Two detectives are better than one, after all." You couldn't help yourself from grinning at how you cheesily reworded that common phrase.

"Oh, yes. This seems perfect. Please, take him up on that offer. He may help you with the case, and in the process, if there is anything to uncover, this 'Ryuzaki' will eventually expose himself to you."

"Ok."

"You can use this same line the next time you call." And he hung up.

Breathing out a frustrated sigh, you opened the door to find Ryuzaki _right_ there! How long had he been there? Had he heard the whole conversation? The man said, "After you left the room, I had discovered something interesting. So I came to get you. Are you quite finished?"

"Y-yes…"

"This way…" he said as he walked slowly, hunched over as usual. "Oh, (Your name)…"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't I hear the toilet flush before you left the room?"

Your face turned a deep red at your exposure. You forgot your cover! All you could do is huff and say, "You aren't supposed to ask those kinds of questions!"

The man seemed completely oblivious. "Is it? Nevertheless, if you forgot to flush, then it is not too late. The genders are equal when it comes to sanitary behavior."

You completely lost it at this point. It was embarrassing! He was your _potty police_! You finally screamed, "Ok, you got me! I just _said_ that I was using the bathroom! I was just making a phone call! Are you happy?!"

Ryuzaki seemed surprised at this outburst, but soon regained his calm composure. "Oh? But either way, I recommend flushing. It provides good camouflage."

This was going to be a long investigation.


	3. Justice!

**Author's Note: Yes, I did use the actual book as a reference. Spoilers present in this chapter. And I own nothing.**

* * *

As the days wore on, you grew more and more tired of this "Ryuzaki". The so-called important discovery he made was that of a missing volume of a manga called _Akazukin Chacha_. Apparently, you had to see the number of pages missing since that volume was taken out. Then use the numbers on the corpse to count to the different page numbers in the book it was replaced with on the shelf. It didn't end there. With each victim's house, there were more torturous puzzles like that to solve. To be honest, Ryuzaki did most of the work. Really, all of it. You would always have these theories at each house, but Ryuzaki expanded on those, adding in concepts that you didn't even think of. He was being the true detective here. You were just a girl that was being dragged along.

It was Christmas Eve and the rest of the world was celebrating while you were working on the most dangerous thing to happen to you in your life. Still, something in your gut told you that something was off even more so about this whole case.

Ryuzaki was still rather suspicious to you, but now even L seemed like he was hiding something ... other than his identity. You and Ryuzaki have concluded that victims were being targeted because of their initials. Every two victims seemed to have the initials "BB", alternating with the initials "QQ" because of being mirror reflections of each other, when in lower case at least. However, with this last victim, it may be "BB" again ... so, you both disregarded that theory. For the lack of "QQ" initials and the presence of a 13th floor in a condominium, it seemed that the reason this killer was obsessed with the letter "B" also indicates a liking to the number 13, seeing as they are so close to one another in shape.

You and Ryuzaki have pegged the location for the next murder to happen, but still needed to know where the victim was. There were two rooms that had residents with "BB" initials. There was Blackberry Brown in room 1313, or there was Blues-harp Babysplit in room 404. Ryuzaki pointed out that 4 is, in fact, 1+3, so it was another possibility. He stationed himself at one while you guarded the other, armed with a gun that L prearranged for you to have. L. Giving you a gun. Something wasn't right, and you knew it.

Later, while on the job, L called to check up on you, reassuring your safety since you were uneasy about going in without even bugs or security cameras in there so he would know what was going on. How did he comfort you? By saying that he sent in a thief and a con man as stealthy reinforcements. As if that was supposed to make you feel any better. Still, there was a burning question you had to ask. "L ... do you know the killer?"

"Yes. He is B."

"He's ... someone you know personally." A couple days ago, he said, _Whatever you do, please catch the killer._ The way he practically begged you, there was no doubt in your mind that there was history between them.

"Yes. (Your name), please keep that in the strictest confidence. The back-up I stationed inside have not been told what case they are working on. They are better off not knowing. Since I asked you to do this for me, I don't mind telling you. But, generally speaking, it was also something you were better off not knowing."

You were the worst at keeping secrets, but at least you knew you would honorably keep this one. "I know. Either way, B has to be stopped. He killed three people with no reason but to show off to the police. But ... I must ask ... you know the killer ... yet you have nothing to do with him?"

There was a moment of silence before he responded. "I have nothing to do with him. To be completely accurate, I don't even know B. He is simply someone I am aware of. But none of this affects my judgment. Certainly, I was interested in this case, and began to investigate it because I knew who the killer was. But that did not alter the way I investigated it, or the manner in which my investigation proceeded. (Your name), I cannot overlook evil. I cannot forgive it. It does not matter if I know the person who commits evil or not. I am only interested in justice."

You gained a whole new level of respect for L in that moment, whoever he may be. Once the call ended, you proceeded with your duty to capture B, stationed directly inside of room 1313.

* * *

Your feet were falling asleep. You were feeling tired. And no one was coming through the door to murder anyone. In your free time sitting there, you contemplated how the doors remained locked after each killing. It was a simply trick with string and the locking mechanism, wrapping around the nail used to hang the Wara Ningyo dolls. Of course, as each killing decreased by one, there would only be one doll in the room you were standing in. If the killer ever came.

As much as you hated the idea of leaving your post, you decided to check in with Ryuzaki in room 404. There was no one to kill in the room you were posted at anyways. You ran down several flights of stairs in an attempt to lower the amount of time to killer could walk in while the room was unguarded.

You arrived at room 404. It was locked.

Your hands shaking slightly, you use a pin from you jacket to jimmy the lock. You have never succeeded in doing so before, but hoped that luck was on your side. It was. It opened. Ryuzaki was, in fact, laying down gasoline, pouring on himself! He was trying to set himself on fire! He was the next victim! It was suicide!

You put it together within a second in your head. The victim's initals usually had something to do with "BB". The killer's name was B. He was making himself the last victim to cover his tracks. Ryuzaki was B!

Shocked by your sudden entry, and sure as he was that you've pieced everything together, B jumped on top of you, strangling you with his arm as he wrestled you into the gasoline. Try as might to escape him, you remained completely coated. You spotted him reaching for the matches, about to set you on fire, so you dominated him with sudden strength. Of course, in all that wrestling, you lost your gun. Because you forgot to arm it on the way in.

Instead, you did the next best thing. You bashed his head against a dresser and knocked him out cold. After making sure you did nothing more than cause a minor concussion, you called L and told him of your success. The strange detective, Ryuzaki, was indeed B. L, still using his synthetic voice, praised you. "Excellent work, (Your name). I appreciate your cooperation on this case. I realize this was never a way you wished to spend your holiday break. For that, I apologize. However, you have exhibited remarkable skill as a field agent, though that is certainly not what you are currently studying to be. I'll be sure to make a note of that. In any case, you have proven your skill and earned my trust."

L trusted you.

You couldn't believe it. This was a man who represented justice, who was greater than all forms of authority combined. And he praised you. You were rendered speechless, though you wanted so very much to thank him and tell him how unworthy you were ... especially considering the only way you solved this case was by abandoning your post in the first place. But he took no mind to it. "I shall look forward to any instance of us ever working together again."

And he hung up.


	4. Yucky Diseases

**A/N: This is where the continuity in this series is all rearranged. The case that you are about to work on is from the third Death Note movie (or, subsequently, the novel adaptation). However, it takes place _before_ the Kira case this time around. So yes, I am tailoring my own universe for you. :P Yet I still own nothing.**

* * *

You breathed out deeply as you sat in your seat, waiting for it to be time to head out onto the plane. Your cell phone shocked you out of your stupor, but you didn't recognize the number. Cautiously, you answered. "Hello?"

"(Your name). I request your assistance again." You could recognize that synthetic voice anywhere. It was L. Still, it was bad timing.

You whispered harshly into your phone. "B-but I'm supposed to be heading home now. My family would notice I'm not there and would be so worried and disappointed…"

"I understand, but please listen to what I have to say before rejecting the idea completely. Should you choose to accept this task, arrangements shall be made so that no one would suspect a thing. Also … I offer my congratulations on your first year completion."

The way he seemed to be able to do anything at a given time and find out anything about you really creeped you out. It would seem almost stalkerish, if it weren't so secret-agent-like. Still, after the LA BB Murder Cases, you grew to trust his strange ways. "Talk."

"A scientist in Japan was working on a cure for an outbreak in an Indian village. Through testing, it was determined that the virus was in fact manufactured by combining two very deadly diseases. Ergo, someone created this outbreak by hand. One of my previous agents, F, has already died working on this case. The village that was hit by the outbreak only had one survivor: a small child with extraordinary mathematical abilities. He and my associate Watari would be there to assist us. The plan is figure out who made this virus, determine for what purpose, obtain the antidote, and make sure that no one falls victim to this outbreak again. What do you say?"

You were frozen. A virus. A deadly virus. A germ that could do who-knows-what to your body. That prospect always frightened you, as who could imagine a more painful death? Diseases are a slow way to die, most people spending hours, days, or even weeks' worth of their last moments in a hospital bed. You always knew that, if you were to die, that is the one thing you didn't want. Bring as much violence and pain as would come, but your heart would truly suffer if the last thing you would see would be the overly-sanitized, pure white rooms of a hospital, left with nothing to do before you die than to sit in a bed and wait.

The way you have grown to trust L, you were willing to do almost anything for him – but he was asking you to aid in stopping biological warfare. "Why would you come to me for this? I don't know anything about how to handle this!"

"Because very few of my field operatives, be that their occupation or not, have ever been made aware of my identity of L in the first place. It is a very small list of which you have been selected from. You should consider yourself honored. Also … I can see you as a very motherly figure."

Did you hear that right? "Motherly?"

"You see, Watari shall only be helping us from a distance. I'm afraid that he will be retrieving some much-needed files for me, leaving me alone with … the child. As much as your investigative talent has been proven by the previous case we have worked on together, I have never cared for children before. I could use some assistance with that as well."

Though you were slightly insulted by the assumption of being the 'motherly' type of person, you couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of an armchair-detective, like how you imagined L was, in charge of the welfare of a child. But then you stifled it, remembering you were still on the phone with him and he could hear you laughing at his discomfort. "I'm sorry. I'll be sure to help in any way I can. Be that as an investigator or a babysitter." You couldn't help it. You laughed again.

"I knew that you would agree. The arrangements have now been made. You family thinks that you made last-minute enlistments into summer classes because you failed to meet the criteria for the year. Looking at your grades, this is a long shot, though I am 87.9% certain that they will buy it. You arranged plane ticket has been transferred from (City with airport closest to your hometown) to Tokyo, Japan. I will be there with the child to pick you up and debrief you on any further development that occurs during your flight."

Dang. He took care of everything in a moment's notice. This was the side of him that amazed you. "Thank you, L."

"You had better hurry. The plane for Japan leaves in a couple minutes."

"What?!"

You hung up the cell phone to see that the flight for Japan was one that was scheduled to leave much earlier than your previously-arranged flight. You ran to your plane to find that you've made it just in time, before the gates closed. By the time you got on, your face was flushed red, in heat from your run. Your hair and clothes were a mess too. Luckily, you would have the entire flight to fix yourself. You banged your head against the seat ahead of you, a kind of facepalm. You let L talk you into taking on the case with diseased people just by making you laugh. Or maybe you were swayed by the thought of caring for that poor child that had survived the outbreak. Working together with him, and making sure the kid would be ok … once you got there, it would almost be like playing house.

Except that, you reminded yourself nervously, it would be a lot deadlier.


	5. Want a Crepe?

**A/N: Hello, all! Spider, here! I'm having a lot of fun with this story, taking the Death Note universe into my own continuity, giving peoples their chance with L. :P **

**However, I wanna let you guys know something! Here, I'm using the _actual_ Near, so the little boy I'm bringing in? Not him. He may have been "Near" in the movies, but not here. So, when you guys leave a review, you can suggest a name for him too. The one I like the best will be the one I'll stick with in this series. I ask you not use W, M, N, F, A, B, or Q as the acronym - simply because their all taken by either canon or (in the case of Q) my OC. Plus, I need an alias as well as a letter. If you guys feel up to a little challenge. ;)**

**Enough intimidation. On with the story! :D I own nothing.**

* * *

You arrived at the airport to see a crowd full of people, but there were none that you could discern as L. After collecting some light luggage, you pushed your way through the bombardment of travelers. You looked to the people holding signs for their loved ones to make themselves more noticeable, but none were calling for you. You must have waited a good twenty minutes or even a half an hour trying to find L. Even if you didn't know what he looked like, he would make himself apparent to you in some way. But no. He was nowhere to be found.

You begrudgingly carried your things out onto the curb. Maybe he just had not arrived yet. Even if he didn't, you feared, you could always pay for a hotel room, as costly as that may be for a college student with rather expensive tastes. Before you even crossed the street, you were startled into a halt by an unusual sight: there was a crepe truck just outside of the airport. You scanned the truck, aiming to find some clue as to why it might be there. The airport wasn't big on snacks, after all. It wouldn't be making a deliver.

Once your eyes stopped at the driver's seat, your heart skipped. You could swear that Beyond Birthday wasn't in prison; he was driving the crepe truck! Your feet froze to the spot, alarmed at the idea of another confrontation with the killer. You were scared out of your mind...but there was something different this time. There was no ominous air to him. There was nothing to really make you afraid, other than the mirror image. This man who sat in the truck - also with his knees to his chest while clad in blue jeans, a white shirt, and messy hair to match the bags under his eyes, you noted - gave off no feeling but that of pure astonishment. Of light. Of goodness. Of...something. You really didn't know what it was about him, but you found it ever enticing. Against your better judgment, you walked closer to the truck only to hear the doors slamming. The Beyond Birthday look-alike was exiting the vehicle with children at his side.

One child was a young girl, apparently Japanese. She was wearing a bright red dress with a beautiful pendant around her neck although she couldn't have been older than ten. Though she was quite possibly the cutest girl your eyes could behold, the child held extreme sadness within her, and you could sense it immediately. You were called her for a mission and you knew that the girl was hurt in the middle of it. Racing ahead of her, however, was an even younger boy who seemed to be from this area as well, though his skin was somewhat darker. His hair was cut short, dressed in clean, ironed clothes like a very good little boy. He ran to you, wrapping his tiny arms around your legs. You stammered, "W-what?!" The boy stayed silent, though he welcomed you with a warm smile.

The man from inside the crepe truck walked after the slowly and in a hunch, but it was more cute and awkward than it was creepy. His thumb was in his mouth as he gathered the children again, apparently thinking them a bother to you. His eyes met yours and you could see the kind person behind them. "It's nice to finally meet you, (First name). I am L."

Your voice was caught in your throat. This was him? This was the man whom you have admired, yet have been tortured by, one the previous mission and just before the flight over? The man who ordered the death of your computer and rerouted your vacation spot? This was him? To be honest ... he looked about what you expected. So creepy and emo-ish. Just like Beyond Birthday. That appearance is what you expected from a man that never revealed his face, probably never leaving his bedroom. A hopeless recluse, though his actions contradict that stereotype now.

He answered in response to your deafening silence. "I realize you must be remembering B right now, considering your rather ... unfortunate ordeal concerning him. Rest assured we are not the same person. He simply had a rather unhealthy obsession with me. You, on the other hand, are a pleasure to finally meet." A smile crept onto his face then, but he remained so serious it almost seemed like a sudden occurrence. "Either way, a whole new threat should concern us."

Your words still only came out staggered, as a realization came about you in a flashback: during the Los Angeles BB Murder Case, L asked what you thought of B. You responded by going on about how creepy B looked. An insult which, by association, would have also insulted L. That practically ripped out your vocal cords on the thought. However, you managed to choke out "Y-you said...there was only one kid..."

He nodded once. "Yes, a young boy from a Thai village. He is a genius that survived the outbreak that wiped out everyone around him. However ... I have come across yet another child who may be of assistance. Her name is Maki Nikaido. She is the daughter of the scientist that was studying the virus. Unfortunately...he was exposed to it. In front of her. There were traitors in the lab. Another organization has obtained the virus...and left her without a parent." As he spoke, the girl moved herself behind the detective, attempting to shield herself from you as if you were the murderer yourself. "Seeing as she was so close to the scientist, she may know details that will help us in the future. This combined with the boy's mathematical skills should give us a significant edge over the criminals."

You nodded, understanding how this was all fitting together. You felt a twinge of sympathy thinking of both of those children, so young, without someone to care for them. You could see why, in addition to an investigator, L also needed a mother for this mission. Tears began to form in your eyes, but not a single drop fell. "I'm willing to help in any way that I can." You looked back to the crepe truck, still wondering why the chosen vehicle was so ... odd. But that is not the question you heard yourself ask. "But how come you didn't come to get me? I waited so long for you inside..."

His response, to your surprise was in monotone, like everything else he said. You wanted him to feel at least a_ little_ guilty, but if he felt then he didn't show it. "I...do not usually drive. Watari does it for me. Without him, I had to rely on an automatic driving system. It is very ... flawed. It was difficult to find my way here without his assistance."

You were ... oddly charmed then. It was almost like the great L was admitting to something beyond his expertise. You would tease him about it if he were family, but you still respected him too much - not to mention you haven't known him for that long either. You felt yourself being cheered again, lugging your suitcase into the back of the crepe truck. "I'll be sure to help you with that too, ok?"

He got in the passenger seat and you looked tenderly onto the kids. The boy seemed to like you already, but Maki was as cold as ever. She sat right behind L. You weren't surprised that she would be this way with her having to see what she saw, but you kept in mind that you would not just give her space but reach your hand out for her as well. Once everyone was in the crepe truck, you noticed the technology inside. The cabinets and trays opened to reveal computers and different systems. It was almost like a candy-coated spy movie. This truly was L's mobile unit. Once he was out of earshot, you whispered. "It's great working with you too, L."

Your happiness was broken when a small tingling was in the back of your mind. When you took the wheel, there was a black van etching its way down the street. You slowly pressed on the gas pedal and it creeped with you at the same pace. You were being followed. "L!"

"I know." he said. "Try to lose him, (First name)."

You gunned the gas, driving at a pace that was fast but still comfortable to still see every turn. Unfortunately, that meant that your pursuers could too. After a couple minutes of chase, you knew you had no choice but to race your way out of the situation. The angry Japanese populous screamed their protests at you, but you had to escape. You blazed across the streets, often venturing onto sidewalks and through convenience stands. L and the kids veered to and fro wildly in the back seats, apparently not prepared with seat belts before you decided to take off. The truck went off the road more times than you could count, but it was worth it if the lot of you were out of harm's way. Your panicked and reckless driving aside, the safety of those three were all you cared about.


	6. The Virus

**A/N: And the Thai boy's name has been chosen! :D His name is now Takeru, by recommendation of JadeAngel1996 from Deviant Art. In this chapter, things get more intense ... but, I promise, the first true LxReader moment shall appear in the next chapter, so stay alert! ;)**

**Some of the dialogue was taken from the true movie, L: Change the world. I claim no right over L or the Death Note franchise.**

* * *

You weaved your way through the streets, tossing back the three passengers behind you. They should have been wearing seat belts. L moved up beside you, attempting to guide your movements. "Cut across this intersection here. Take this ally."

"You know, we're not supposed to drive there..."

"Bear with me. We need to lose them." After about ten minutes, the goal was achieved. No one was following you and people were giving surprisingly little attention to a huge, poorly driven Crepe Truck. The children grew closer to L and it became clear that he was very uncomfortable with that, but he let them hold onto him at any rate. "Now take a left at the next turn. Then follow straight into the tunnel."

"W-where are we going now?" you asked.

"My headquarters stationed in Japan. It is an excellent place for recovery and to go over what evidence we have so far."

You nodded in agreement. You looked forward to settling down with L and the two kids. Maki and ... the other one. Even with this new ridiculous case to take care of. God, you hated diseases. But, soon enough, you were entering the garage of L's base.

He held hands with the children, yourself following behind him. When you entered the main area on the 7th floor, Maki was already sitting in a corner of the room while L was trying to treat the boy to a ... dough-kabob? He was offering the child numerous pastries on a stick ... but something else was concerning you right now. You couldn't just go on calling the child "boy". You reached out your hand, petting the kid's arm. "What's your name?"

In return, the boy only looked at you. He wouldn't say a word. You face dropped into a frown. "We ... we have to call you something..."

L was at your side. "F, the agent that brought him to me, had no idea what his name was either. It is possible he simply wants a new one." The child didn't nod his head, but his eyes lit up. Maybe it was for the best to rename him. His family was taken away from him, after all. In a way, it could mean the start of a new life.

"Any preferences?" you ask.

L shook his head slowly. "You should choose his name, (First name)."

You thought for a considerably long moment. Despite everything, you wanted the child to maintain his Thai heritage. Numerous names ran through you mind, but one stood out: Takeru. In the back of your mind, you were wondering if that wasn't just a name you heard in an anime somewhere. But no. Takeru is a proud Thai name, meaning _warrior_, _fierce_, _health_ and _noble_. With him staying so strong after watching so many people in his village die, it just seemed to fit him all the more. "Takeru," you said. "We'll call him Takeru."

Both of the boys smiled at they. Perhaps they knew the meaning behind it too. But Maki only stood to sit somewhere else, working intensively on what was inside of her notebook. After making sure Takeru was happy, L left to get a snack before gathering what data he had. But now Maki has engrained herself into your mind. She seemed so put-off. You walked over to her, but she only stood and walked away. "Wait!" you called out to her. "Maki!"

You followed her out into the hall. "I...I need some time alone." She was now walking down a couple flights of stairs, trying to lose you.

You followed. You perfectly understood her having to be alone in such a time. She had just lost her father to the virus, murdered my traitors who stole it. But still, it seemed that the attention to Takeru had crossed a line for her. Perhaps she felt ... unloved? "I realize you would like that," you pleaded, "but you can't be _completely_ alone either." You took a long breath before explaining further, Maki's eyes finally on you. "You need to grieve. But you also need to open up to us so we can help you. I know, this is far too fast to ask for something like that. Your father ... he had only died days ago. But we need your help. We need to find the antidote because, if we don't, then who knows how many other people will die because of it?!"

Maki looked down, and you immediately felt guilty. You bent down to her level and put your arm around her.

"And, the fate of the world aside, you can't go through all of this and keep it all inside. Blowing off steam all alone and getting a good cry can only do so much. If you can trust someone to help save the world, then you should first trust them to give you a hug once in a while." You smiled and squeezed Maki a little, placing a small peck on her cheek.

She rested her head on your shoulder, a single tear streaming down her left eye. "My ... heart hurts."

You pulled her closer. "I know it does," you whispered to her. And, to your surprise, Maki started hugging back.

Suddenly, interrupting you, green lights flashed throughout the corridor and a loud siren was sounding. Something was setting off the security's alarms. You pushed Maki behind you, though you had no idea what was causing the disturbance. You could hear the echo of footsteps racing toward you, much too fast for you to run away in time. A woman rushed into the hallway where you and the child were within minutes; you chastised yourself for not getting out faster - you just didn't know the layout of this new building, being separated from L. She shouted to the girl, "Maki, there you are! Do you know how much you had us worried? What your father gave you the other day...it was the wrong thing. Can I have it?"

You shook your head, refusing to believe she should be anywhere near her. Showing up randomly, it didn't make any sense. Maki was in a similar state of horror.

Then, over the intercom, L was speaking to her. "K. Or Kimiko Kujo. You're a bit earlier than expected."

The woman who was apparently addressed as K seemed surprised by him, but composed herself. "So it seems you've been able to find out what my name is. Then perhaps we should meet face to face."

"Watari ... had such high hopes for you."

A group of people gathered at her rear, one with a distinct gun in hand. They were with her. "I believe I still have the potential to meet those expectations."

What was happening? Obviously, these people are or are working for the people who are using the virus. But ... K and L? There was more than one person with a letter for an alias? That ... was a bit confusing. You looked over to Maki and she was eyeing all of them. What was she thinking? K's group came closer and closer to you and Maki, malice in their eyes. Maki looked up to you, probably hoping to find comfort, but you knew that all you could express was terror. Your eyes clearly said _Please, I beg you ... don't come any closer._

K said, "Don't start thinking that he's going to come and save you. He has a weakness too, you know?" She tapped her finger to her head. "He can only use this or else he doesn't know how to solve anything."

Still holding Maki back, the insult to L somehow struck you. He may have only helped from the sidelines before, but he certainly didn't seem powerless. You got too angry. You broke into them, ready to fight.

What you didn't count on was Maki following suit. You weren't much of a fighter compared to them. They took you down almost instantly, keeping you there by pointing a gun to your head. Another woman held Maki in a headlock. "Let go of me! Let go!" the child screamed, but then fought back by biting deeply into the woman's hand. For a second, you thought that she was getting away.

But then Maki took out a needle hidden in her dress... and held it to her own neck.

You could barely make a whisper, your eyes widening when you realized what it was. "No ... Maki ..."

Maki's eyes never left the offenders'. K yelled, "Maki, don't!" as she plunged the virus into her own neck, hoping for them to suffer the same fate her father did ... using herself as a vessel.

Maki dropped the empty needle to the floor and it landed right in front of you. You hadn't found the strength to get up. She walked closer to K and her recruits. "You killed him. I saw everything. You should suffer. And die all covered in blood like my dad did!"

A man raised his gun to Maki as you stumbled to get to your feet. Your fear had taken you over and your knees buckled as if like spaghetti. Then, miraculously, the gun was forced out of the man's hands by what looked like doughnuts on a stick. The criminal turned to see that it was L who had thrown it from down the hall. "She's right ... I _do_ have a weakness."

He walked on and fearlessly picked up Maki, even though she fought against him, begging him to let her go and screaming to him that he'll become infected too. You finally found your courage and ran to follow him. Everyone else was too bewildered by his appearance to do anything while you made your escape. Once you all were out of sight, L opened a secret doorway and you saw that Takeru had already been waiting there. He pushed the kids inside and rushed in, though he looked back to make sure you were still behind him.

The whole time Maki was pulling against L, screaming, "I'm going to kill her! I swear I will! I'll make her bleed like my dad! Let me go!" Your heart was racing the whole time. Not only was the virus active and armed terrorists were chasing you, but the sweet little girl you tried to heal ... she wasn't herself anymore. It's like she had become completely psychotic in rage and desperation. There was no doubt that the gunmen would be behind you at any moment, and your passage through a secret door hadn't made you feel any safer.

Eventually, you all reached the garage again. You had never been so happy to see a Crepe Truck in your life. The logo "Angel Crepe" truly felt like a Godsend.


	7. Sweet Taste

Despite L's reluctance, you were the one driving again. Your hands were shaking on the wheel. You now had a carrier of the virus with you. In the back, you could hear her tell L that she could kill anyone she wanted to now. Her father wasn't there to keep her grounded anymore and it worried you. Maki was close to the edge. You wondered what her father's death had to be like for her. You had seen death before and it never affected you like this. It had to have been different. It had to have been horrible.

L's automated chair, constructed into the crepe truck, shifted so that he was seated next to you. Amazingly, his knees were still pulled up under his arms. "I was able to uncover more information before leaving. The group is called Blue Ship. They are supposed to be radical environmentalists. During the break in, you may have noticed a man with a scar. That one was different. He was a terrorist using them as a cover." He paused before continuing, a finger in his mouth. "However, K is not a group member."

"Huh?" You looked to him, more confused than before. You had just pieced together that somehow he and K were connected, hence the letter codes. As was B, that murderer he had you turn in the year before. They were all a part of something to have those codenames. But...a terrorist using an environmental group? How had they managed the authority to obtain a virus? And why call themselves Blue Ship? What was the meaning there?

Before you could ask him anything, L stopped you as you opened your mouth. "Ms. (Last name), please turn left 30 meters ahead. We will be getting out there."

"30 me-? Uh..." How many feet are in a meter?

"Right here." He said it so calmly while you swerved to car to stop where he wanted to. L was thrown back in his seat, but he silently moved out with Maki and Takeru. "Let's go," he told them.

You opened the door as he was moving around to the front of the truck. He stopped you. "We will meet here again in two hours. You should go. And I recommend you drive fast."

Then he walked away with the children.

He left you? Driving a car... with no one else inside...

You were a decoy!

You turned around and your suspicions were confirmed: a black car skidded behind you and was gaining fast. You quickly hopped back into the driver's seat and gunned the gas. You drove that crepe truck as fast as it could go, not caring about traffic laws in the slightest. "Damn you, L!" you screamed. "Damn him!"

This was unforgivable. Why couldn't _he_ learn how to drive? Or better yet, call that Watari person back from whatever case he was on and have him be his chauffeur?

Ok, that was rather cruel of you. But still. You didn't like being chased.

As the pursuit progressed, you ended up nearly plowing down civilians, attempting to get these environmental terrorist people to stop coming after you. When you got out of the way of the civilians, you were pleased to see in the rearview mirror that your pursuer was being held up by the same people! The crowd was outraged by him driving the wrong direction in a one-way street and swarmed the car! Your bad driving saved you!

The only problem now was the traffic. You could barely move a foot per minute. You honked the horn constantly, but it didn't seem to be getting any better. It was really your fault for driving in the wrong direction, but it was still annoying. You had to choice but to keep driving aimlessly for another two hours.

You weren't in a hurry to see L again. During the BB Murder Case, he seemed like a mysterious hero - even if he _did_ have you destroy your laptop. This time he shipped you to Japan and used you as little more than a babysitter and a decoy. Though, you thought depressingly, you were far from an actual detective. Maybe that was simply what you were good for. Maybe there was nothing to be mad about. Maybe this was all you could offer him.

When you parked the truck, L was there with the children. He led them inside so that the two of you could talk privately. Something was wrong. L always seemed somewhat depressed, but something was especially off right now. You two had come to a pier now, only a small walk from where you had left the truck. L was sitting on a wooden pole, set in the water. With his legs still pulled in like they always were when he sat, he reminded you of a seagull perched, overlooking a beach. With him chewing his thumb slightly, the image was hilarious - but you couldn't laugh. Not after all that had happened.

You decided to start the conversation. "So...Maki and the virus?"

"Yes." L answered your question without hesitation. She was now a carrier. "But don't worry. As long as the virus remains dormant, it won't be life-threatening to the host."

"Wait, it's dormant?"

"Yes. I have spoken with Maki. Apparently, her father, the scientist behind generating the antidote, gave her injections every 10 days. Whatever he gave her, it is delaying the virus' activity." He sighed. "However, I do have to travel some distance with her before the virus takes effect."

"Travel?" you asked him. "Where are we going? And...how do we know we won't get infected?"

His head lifted, looking out further into the sea. "To a doctor I know. And...this is true. We don't know that. My death..."

You were shocked looking at him now. Not because of anything he was doing, but because he said it out loud. No matter how annoyed you may be, you knew that L was the greatest police for the world. L is just so important. To everyone, whether they knew it or not. Even before you met him, you looked up to him. He was justice. You couldn't imagine the world without him.

He finished "...may not be as peaceful as I had hoped for after all."

"No..." You swung your legs over the metal chains separating the road from the water where he was seated. "You...you can't talk like that. You're not going to die."

He didn't even look at you. "I don't believe you are being truthful. Did you not just acknowledge the possibility of the virus activating? If Maki were to start showing symptoms, we may all be infected. We may all die. With the exception of Takeru, of course."

You stood so that you were directly next to him. "Well, yeah," you admitted. "But we don't need to think about it." You looked down to your feet. "A person's optimism can make the difference at times, after all. Even if we know what might happen...at this point, we can't just accept it."

He jumped down and walked closer to you. "That is ... a very difficult thing to ask for. I always weigh _all_ of the options. I can simply not mention them to you."

You cracked a smile. "For you to tell me less than you already do? Then there would be no point in me being here."

L pulled your arm so that you had to sit down beside him. Both of you were seated at the pier's ledge, though your legs dangled over the edge of cement, getting your feet slightly wet. L said to you, "I apologize if my methods make you feel unappreciated. You would not be the first of my associates to leave me, fed up with my behavior." He lifted his right hand to reveal another of his Dough-Kabobs, complete with marshmallows and a hint of strawberries and chocolate. Cavities on a stick. You didn't even see him bring it up here.

"Would you like some?" He pulled off a marshmallow on top, apparently ready to feed you. "Close your eyes."

This must have been a true apology, to do something a goofy yet sweet as offer to feed you. With a small chuckle and a smile on your lips, you closed your eyes and opened your mouth, ready for the sweetness from the fluffy marshmallow.

What you tasted, however, was another form of sweetness entirely.

L's lips were warm against your own, gliding and then slipping in his tongue. He had taken your shoulders and pulled you underneath of him. With his tongue invading your heated mouth, you completely surrendered yourself to him. The mixture of his warmth and his sweet taste was like hot, melted sugar. He was taking his time kissing you, both of you completely losing your sense of time. L seemed intent on exploring every inch of your mouth and it could have been either seconds or minutes. You feared you had been together for even longer.

The thought terrified you. As you broke out of your pleasure-induced daze, you realized who you were making out with. A hero to people everywhere, but also someone you barely knew. Not even his real name. The boss of you for two cases platonically, always seeming so awkward and childish, yet here he was being so forceful with you, luring you with sweets.

Part of you was telling yourself that it felt good - _amazing_ - but another was screaming of how completely wrong this was. Being held underneath of him, you struggled to break free, denying him even if you craved him again as soon as you separated. Inadvertently, you pushed against him too far. L became unbalanced and landed directly in the water.

"L! I...I didn't mean..."

L quickly got out of the water, completely drenched. His wet, white shirt wasn't transparent, but that and his jeans clung nicely to his slender frame. The Dough-Kabob he tricked you with had smeared across him during the fall, making a muddy stain across his front. The detective was now hugging himself, his body temperature considerably lower after the evening dip. He rushed towards the crepe truck; apparently, he keeps spare clothes in his mobile unit.

You mumbled through both apologies and rationalizations behind him. "I...I am so sorry! That was really cruel...but you didn't have to...I mean, why would you..."

He stopped with his palm on the handle of the truck's back entrance. "I...wanted to kiss a girl before I died." Still completely soaked, a shade of red crossed his face in embarrassment. "I'm...sorry I did that." He looked away. "Please, forget the whole thing..."


End file.
